The Waning of American Soft Power? The United States and the Transformation of the Global Order

The United States has long occupied a distinctive position in global politics, deriving influence not only from its military and economic capabilities but also from its ability to attract, persuade, and shape international norms. Yet, in an increasingly contested and multipolar international system, the foundations of American soft power appear to be under growing strain. This panel examines the changing fortunes of US soft power and considers what its relative decline means for the emerging world order.
The panel brings together contributions that interrogate the domestic and international sources of the United States’ declining attractiveness and legitimacy. Particular attention is given to the consequences of political polarization, democratic backsliding, racial and social tensions, and the erosion of confidence in American institutions. These domestic developments increasingly intersect with perceptions of US foreign policy, including the use of military force, unilateralism, economic coercion through tarriffs, and shifting commitments to multilateral institutions including cuts in cultural exchange and learning programs such as the Study US Scholars Institute. The panel asks whether the gap between American claims to global leadership and perceptions of its conduct abroad is diminishing the credibility that underpins its soft power.
At the same time, the changing distribution of global power creates new challenges. China, Russia, India, the European Union, and emerging regional powers are developing alternative sources of influence through economic partnerships, diplomacy, technology, cultural exchange, development assistance, and institutional initiatives. The expansion of digital platforms and competing information ecosystems further complicates the United States’ ability to control global narratives and sustain its cultural appeal. Rather than assuming a simple transition from American dominance to Chinese or multipolar ascendancy, the panel explores how soft power is being redistributed, contested, and redefined.
The central question is therefore not simply whether US soft power is declining, but what kind of international order may emerge as American attraction and normative authority become less dominant. The panel seeks to advance theoretical and empirical debates about soft power, hegemony, legitimacy, and order by examining whether the contemporary moment represents a temporary erosion of US influence, a structural transformation of American leadership, or a broader transition toward a more plural and contested global order.